Date:         Thu, 17 May 2001 20:23:32 EDT
Reply-To:     Sersote@aol.com
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Paul M. Hillbish" <Sersote@aol.com>
Subject:      Re: driving legal
Content-Type:  text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

In a message dated 5/17/01 2:21:11 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
sg@sunsetwinona.com writes:

<< ive finally gotten my westie legal(registered and title transfered), after
owning and driving it for nine months.  feels amazing.  i dont have to wince
or reflexively take my foot off the gas pedal every time i pass a cop ...

 anybody else driven their vanagons somewhat less than legally for any long
length of time?  anything come of it? >>

My 83.5 Westy's inspection expired in October of 2000. I have been driving it
at night continually, because I need to, especially for groceries or laundry.
I don't want to jinx myself by saying this, but here goes. <Banging on wood>
So far I have been lucky. Before I got the van, actually before I even got my
Jetta, I was driving a **** Tempo. Great car, nothing wrong with it, well
taken care of, I bought it for $500 from a friend that needed to get rid of
it for room. Some lady where I work decided that it would be fine if she
rammed in to it in an almost vacant parking lot at 35 MPH, so the front end
was smashed. Totaled by the insurance company. I was getting the money, and
buying the Jetta, but the inspection expired. I was driving it for a month on
the expired inspection, and one day, on my way to work, going about 65-70 MPH
on Rt. 73, a state trooper passed me going the opposite way, doing about
50MPH, slammed on his brakes, wheeled around, and chased me down. I asked
what was wrong, he calmly pointed out that my inspection was expired. Now,
this was in July of 2000, and it expired in June. So the stickers were the
same color. This man saw the numbers, on a glance, at a moving speed combined
of 120MPH and it clicked right away that it was expired. (He hit his brakes
as soon as he went by the car) that's impressive. I have no idea why I shared
that, but I did. So watch out if you are driving illegally. Some of them have
good eyes, and some pay attention.

--Paul--

P.S. By the way, I did not get a ticket. I told him about the situation, and
he let me off with a warning, and told me to watch out for any other cops,
and avoid main roads if I can.